Truss



Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

ALFRED C. COOKE, OF SOUTH MANCI IESTER. CONNECTICUT.

PATENT OFFICE.

TRUSS.

Application fll-edlovember 16, 1921. Serial No. 515,670.

Toall whom it may concern: I

'Be it known that I, ALFRED C. CooKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Manchester, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses, of which the following is a specification. V

. My, inventionqrelates to improvements in trusses of the general form of the strap truss shown and described in the patent granted to me under date of January 26, 1909, No.

910,504, and the object of my improvement is to produce a truss of the form mentioned in which the yielding effect in the belt and in the leg straps is effected by means of spring structures in lieu of rubber, as is common, and which, in the case of the belt feature, permits of incorporating in the structurethereof of a stiffening member of sheet metal of appreciable width, and which isadapted to resist the tendency in certain movements of the body toltwist the belt and make a corresponding. change in theiposition of the pad,.the improvements with suitable modifications as to details being incidentally adaptable to other forms of trusses.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved truss.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 3 isa side elevation of the same. Figure 4 is a rear elevation on an enlarged scale and developed of, the back section of the belt structure thatcomprises the spring devices, being broken away. to'show the details of the-springsand adjacent parts.

1 Figure 5 is a developed side elevation of one of the main elements of the belt structure with the pendent, yielding tab structure that supportsthe rear end of the corresponding leg strap.

The truss shown as embod ing my invention comprises a belt and a. pair of leg straps 11 connected theretoland extending generally from the rear ortion to the front, one on each side, a pa Structure 12 being incorporated "in the front portion of the truss structure. I

The pad structure 12 corresponds in structure generally to thattshown and described in the patent mentioned, comprising a metal plate-like frame 13 having means. on the rear face forsupporting a pair, of individual pads 14, positioned in spaced relation, the particular truss shown being known as a double truss. 1 I

The frame 13 is provided on the front face with a pair of headed pins or studs 15 that serve as the means for making connections with the front end portions of the belt 10 and the leg straps 11.

The connecting devices for the leg straps 11 are in the form of a metal loop 16 that is connected to the end of the front end portion'17 of the leg strap 11 in each case. The connections for the front ends of the belt 10 with the studs 15 are provided in the form of a keyhole slot 18 in the front end portion 19 of the reinforcing strip 20 of sheet metal that is incorporated in each of the main elements or body structures 24: of the belt 10. v

The leg strapll is made of fabric, in the form of webbing, has the front end portion 17, mentioned, rounded into cord-like form and has the rear end portion 21 flat and adapted to make connection with the buckle 22 at the lower end of the pendent tab structure 23 that has its upper end connected to the rear portion of the belt 10 generally. Actually, the tab structure 23, as shown, is connected in each case to the rear end portion of the corresponding body structure 24:.

The tab structure 23 is in the form of a yielding structure, comprising the body 25 that is made of fabric, is secured to the body structure 24, and serves as the fixed member, and the movingmember 26 that is in the form of a loop of wire, and to which the buckle 22 is attached, said fixed member 25 and moving member 26 being operatively inter-connected by means of a coil spring 27.

The fixed member 25 is'in the form of a double-walled, bag-like structure that has the lower edge portion 28 closed except for a pair of eyelet openings 29 positioned therein andin spaced relation laterally.

The loop of wire that constitutes the moving member 26 has the two arms 30 extended throughthe eyelet openings 29 and has the lower ends of said arms 30 connected to the buckle 22. The upper ends of the arms 30 are interconnected by the yoke 31.

The coil spring 27 is mounted on the yoke 31 and the parts of the arms 30 back of the eyelet openings 29, being housed entirely within the bag-like structure of the fixed member. 25and having the ends in abutment with the border walls of the said eyelet open ings 29.

The belt 10 is composed of a pair of main body structures or main sections 24 positioned one on each side and extending around the front so as to connect by the front ends with the studs 15 and the back section 32 that connects by its endsto the opposed ends ofthe main sections 24 through the medium of suitable buckle structures The buckle structures 33 are mounted on the ends of the back section 32 and they are adjustably connected to tabs, 34 on the inner ends of the main sections 24. v

The body portion of the main sections 24 comprises in eachcase a double-walled portion 35 of fabric for the exterior that encloses the metal strip piece 20. The tab 34 is connected tothe rear end of the doublewalled portion 35.

The front end portion 19 of the sheet metal strip 20 extends outwardly beyond the doublewalled portion 35 so as to be exposed and accessible for connecting with the stud 15, a rivet 36' just back of the front end portion serving to connect the front end of the double-walled portion 35 and the sheet metal strip- 20;

The back section is composed virtually of two resilient or yielding structures arranged in alignment, each of which is a counter-part of the resilient or yielding structure described as provided in the tab structure 23'.

Thus there are two double-walled. housing structures 37 of fabric that have the outer edgeportions 38 provided each with a pair of eyelet openings 39; there is the loop 40 of wire that has the arms extended through the eyelet openings 39 and serves as the moving member; the ends of the arms being con nected to the buckle 33; and there is the coil spring 41 that is mounted on the wire of the moving member or loop 40.

- The loop 40 is connected to the end bar 42 of the buckle 33 and inorder to hold the buckle- 33 in proper relative transverse relation to the back section 32 and to the belt structure generally I provide suitable off sets or diminutive loops 43 in said bar 42, which receive the ends of said loop. A cushioning structure or lining 44 mabe provided on the inner side: of the back section 32, being stitched thereto at the middie 45, with the ends extending laterally.

As described, the belt 10 comprises fora relatively large portion of the length, and particularly at the sides and towards the front, the sheet metal strips 20, enclosed in a suitable housing of fabric, said strip being of appreciable width. The result attained by this construction is a tendency to resist tilting and twisting due to the movements of the body and thus avoiding a corresponding shifting of the pad or pads.

This construction is rendered possible by reason of the use of the metal springs, as described, for providing the desired yielding effect for the belt structure as a whole, because the necessary yielding eiiect can be obtained within the limits of a relatively short length or zone.

Also, whatever yielding effect is obtained will remain substantially constant and permanent. Y

I claim as my invention 1. A truss comprising a pad support, a belt, and a pair of pendant l'eg straps, the front ends of said belt and straps being connected to said pa-d support the rear ends of said straps being connected individually to the opposite sides of said belt, and the structure constituting the rear portion of said belt and the structures constituting the rear portions of said leg straps being all of longitudinally elastic character.

2. In a truss as described in claim I, a metal reinforcing strip of non-spring sheet metal being incorporated on each side in the portion intermediate the pad support and the junction of the leg strap and belt.

3. In a truss, a body belt having a tab for a leg strap, a buckle for connecting with said leg strap,'a support for said buckle in the form of a U-shaped loop of wire having the ends of the arms connected thereto, said tab comprising a double-Walled housing for the said loop having a pair of eyelet openings: for said arm, and a coiled spring mounted on said loop, housed within said housing, and with the ends opposed to the walls of said eyelet openings.

4. In a truss, a back section for being inserted in the rear portion of a belt and having buckles at the lateral ends for being connected to: opposed cooperating portions of said belt, comprising a body structure of fabric, said body structure having a middle zone that extends laterally over aspace for registering with the back bone of the wearer under conditions of use and having lateral end portions on each side of said space, and spring structures connected individually with said buckles and incorporated in said lateral end portions for providing longitudinal elasticity for said back section.

5. In a truss as described in claim 4, a lining of fabric for said body and stitched thereto, and the stitching being confined to the space intermediate said spring devices, the parts of the lining on each side of the stitching operating as free wing-like structures.

' 6-. In a truss, a pocket structure consisting of two layers of fabric that are connected along the free edge of said pocket structure, a Fair of eyelets inserted in said free edge, a rame housedgenerally within said pocket and comprising a pair of arms of wire that project outwardly from said pocket and are slidably engaged with said eyelets, a buckle mounted on the free ends of said arms, and a spring device operatively mounted on the portion of the frame that is located within said pocket.

7. In a truss as described in claim 6, said buckle having a bar that serves as the means for connection with said arms, and said bar having a pair of off-sets that are indi idually connected to said arms.

ALFRED C. COOKE. 

